Baby Klipspringer Is Lincoln Park Zoo's First New Arrival In 2014

By Chuck Sudo in Arts & Entertainment on Apr 25, 2014 1:45PM

Spring is a time of renewal and rebirth and Lincoln Park Zoo rang in the season with the announcement Thursday of the zoo's first new birth of the year, a baby klipspringer calf, a dwarf antelope indigenous to central and southern Africa.

Born on March 30, the female calf is the second offspring for sire Dash and dam Triumph. the pair were recommended to breed as part of the Klipspringer Species Survival Program (SSP). Triumph is currently unable to care for the calf so zoo staff is hand-rearing her. "healthy and eating well and, as a result, has almost doubled her weight since birth," said the zoo's aid Curator of Mammals, Mark Kamhout. “The calf will continue to receive around-the-clock care behind-the-scenes until she is able to fully navigate the vertical elements of her new habitat in Regenstein African Journey."

Klipspringers (Afrikaans for “rock jumper”) reach an average weight of 24 pounds and are so tiny all their hooves can fit on a Canadian dollar. They use scent glands on their faces to mark their territory and butt heads with their horns to fight for a mate.